Improvement in seeding-machines



UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

NELSON E. ALLEN, OFFOX LAKE, ISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 'lO HIMSELF AND CEAS.. B. VARREN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHlN-ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,528, dated May-12, i863.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NELSON E. ALLEN, of Fox Lake, in the county of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have inventedanew and Improved Seeding-lilachine,Corn-Planter, and Horse- Rake Combined; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,.aud exact descrip tion ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure lrepresents a sectional elevation of luy machine (the section being taken in the line :c :n ot' Fig. 5) adapted to sow seed broadcast. Fig. 2 represents a sectional elevation of that part necessary to convert the machine into a corn-planter. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. e is a side elevation of the machine converted into a horse-rake. Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a measuring-cylinder and grain-conveying tube on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the several gures.

This invention consists, first, in the spiral form given to the cups or receptacles in the seeding-cylinders, in combination with the opening in the caps, whereby the grain, as the cylinders revolve, is deposited onto thegronnd in a continuous stream; second, in a tinted cone or scatterer capable of being adjusted so as to adapt the machine to scatterl over a lgreater or'less area ot' ground at once; third,

in the peculiar manner of attaching the cultivator-bars to the frame ot' the nmchine,where by the driver is enabled to raise the back end of either one ofthe bars, and consequently its cultivator-tooth,independently ot' the others, for the purpose of passing over an obstruction, by simply depressing the front end of the bar with one of his feet.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In Figs. 1, 4, and 5, A represents a rectangular frame, which is mounted on two wheels, B B', and has a box, C, placed onit extending its whole width. Within-,s.the box C there is placed a sh.1ttD,which has a pinion, a, (shown in Fig. 5,) titted on one end and adapted to be slid longitudinally thereon by means of alever, b, and thus to be thrown into or out ot' gear with a wheel, a', attached concentricall y to the wheel B.

On the shaft D there is secured a series ot' hubs, which may be described as being cylinders E, provided with radial spiral flanges c, the spaces between which form seed cups or pockets. Each cylinder E has a shell or hollow cylinder, F, fitted on it. These shells or cylinders F are provided with spiral slots to receive the flanges of the cylinders E, theparts of theshells between the slots tting snugly in the spaces between the llauges o ofthe cylinders, and which col'istitute the seed cups or pockets The spiral form ot' the flanges acts to scrape the grain passing through the openings in the caps diagonally or cornerwise, so that before one cup has passed the opening the preceding cup is being filled. In this inan-V ner a continuous discharge of grain is kept. up between the hopper and the cups, whence it runs in a continuous stream into the ground.

The cylinders F are each provided on their outer ends with a tlange, (l, and these ilanges are clasped by forked projections c on the bar G, which is moved longitudinally within the box O by means of a lever, H. TheA pendent tubes l-,which convey the grain from the so wers tothe scatterers, terminate at their upper ends in semi-boxes j', which, together with caps g, inclose the cylinders and thereby pre clude the possibility of grain escaping over the sides. Each or" the caps g has an oblong opening in it through which the grain passes from the hopper into the cups or pockets in the cylinders.

Directly over the box O there is placed a seed box or hopper, I, the bottom of which is perforated immediately over the cylinders on shaft D. depressions are formed in the bottom immediately surrounding the perforations.

1n the lower end ot' each conveying-tube 12 there is suspended a iiuted cone, J, for the purpose of scattering grain broadcast. This tluted cone J is attached to the tube by a bent arm or bracket, h, which passes upon the outside oi' the tube and has a set-screw, i, passing through' it into the tube. The bracket being slotted where the screw passes through it allows the cone to be adj usted higher or lower.

Insidethe hopper sunken cavitiesor' to adapt the machine to scatter over a greater or lessarea ot' ground at once, as may he desired, the grooves or flutes in the cone acting to prevent the grain from being drifted or scattered more on one. side than another.

The cultivator-teethj are attached by standards It' and braces It to bars K, which are loosely ltted on shaft l and kept atv equal distances apart thereon by hubs projecting from opposite. sides of the bars. The shaft l issupported at its ends in boxes or hangers m, depending` from the side pieces ofthe main frame A. The bars li extend in fronta sufficient distance to enable the driver, (who sits on the hopper,) by depressing the front end with his feet, t'o raise anyone of the teeth independentlyofany other for the purpose of allowing that particular tooth to pass over an obstruction or to release it oi' any rubbish which may have accumulated upon it. The bars K, and consequently thc cultivator-teethj, are raised or lowered simultaneously by means ot thc lover. n and rockshatt L, from which latterlthey are suspended at their rear ends by cords or chains 0. The rock-shaft L rests at its ends in bearings in the side pieces, AA, ofthe frame A, and when turned so as to elevateithe cultivator-teeth to their highest position is, together with the lat-l ter, retained in such position by inserting av ,is furnished with any proper numberof wire teeth, q, and on one end is provided with a pulley, O, hy means of which and a band itis rotated by one of the drivingwlieels, as will be presently explained. The rear end of the lever l?, which has its fnlcrum at i' in the post p, rests on the periphery of or rides the caniwhcel N and is kept in close contact therewith bya spring` acting through the bell-crank shaft.

The front ot' the lever P terminates in a fork embracing the bent arm s of bell-crank shaft Q. This bell-crank Q rests at its ends in suitable bearings, and to its arm t,Fig. 1,is p ivoted 'a rod, u, which extends to and is connected with the semi-clutch R that can-freely move on the axle until forced by a hand-lever, S, into gear with another semi-clutch, T, formed on the hub of the driving-wheel B, and these two parts, forming a regular clutch, must rotate together until released. i

0n the semi-clntch R there is a pulley, U, around which and around pulleyO on the rake'- shalt passes an endless belt, '0, for revolving the rake, imparting to it a positivemovement.

The tongue V, to which the team is hitched, is pivoted to the front end of the frame, and

has a lever, to, rigidly attached to its upper side. This lever 'w extends backward and upward through a mortise in a curved arm, X, and 1s for the purpose of raising or lowering the hind part ot' the machine, and with it the rake, by depressing' the forward end ofthe machine.

Then properly adjusted, either for raking hay or for transporting to or from the tield, theA rake is retained in such position by a pin put I -that is tosny, with the rake-shaft locked and clutch thrown out of gearthe driver causes v the horse or horses to move on until a sufficientdistance is passed over to form a windrow..

He then takes hold of the lever S with one hand and pushes'it toward the right-hand side ot' the machine. This throws the rear end ot' the lever P out of the depression in the camwheel, andsimultaneously therewith throws the half-clutches into gear, and, the machine still moving, the driving-wheel, through theV clutch-pulleys and belt, inxmediatelyrotates the rake backward, leaving the hay in a windrow. As soon as the rake commences to revolve the driver removes his hand, and the spring S2, which was compressed by the movement of the lever S, turningthe bell-crank lever, throws it up, unlocking the clutch and forcing the end of the lever P into or against the shoulder on the cam-wheelwhen it'comes round, which locks the rake until another windrowis formed, and then another similar operation is gone through with, and so on.

To adaptthe machine to use as a corn-planter the horse-rake has to be removed, and in its place put the shaft shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The board W, which has hoppers y y attached to its upper sido, and the board X', which has pendent drill-tubes 2 and coverers attached to its under side, are then placed on the top and bottom sides respectively of the side pieces, A', of the frame A, and firmly secured by the bolts passing through them. Immediately under the hoppers t and over the pendent d rill-tu bes 2, cylinders 3 are' secured on the shaft 'M'. These cylinders 3 have formed in their peripheries depressions or cavities which 'measure the quantity of seedldeposited in the drills.. An aperture is made through the board NV corresponding in size with the bottom of the hopvthe periphery of the cylinder from' escaping until opposite the mouth of theV drill-tube 2, whence it is deposited into the ground. Each of the coverers is formed with two outwardlytlarin g blades, 5 5, which are soarranged bef I -hind the drill-tubes as to throw the dirt'frpni each side thereof into a ridge which istlat'tne'd by a roller, 6, leaving the groi'indiviu'the best possible condition'for quick germination.' The roller 6 is journaled in the lower ends-of the standards of they blades 5, andimmediately behind them. flhc raising or lowering of, the drill-tubes to vary the depth thereof in the 2.A The tinted cone or scatterer J, attached to the tube 12 by an arm, h, and screw 2'-, so that vit can be adjusted Within the lower end ofthe tube, as and for the purposes specified.

3. Suspending the barsK, to which the cultivator-teethj are attached, from shaft l, so as to have them project a sut'cient distance in front of the shaft to forni pedals, by which either one ofthe cultivator-teeth maybe raised independently of the other, in the' manner' speciiied.

NELSON E. ALLEN. Witnesses:

G. S. HAWLEY, A. BANTA. 

